Friday, September 26, 2014

Day Four: Stop Doing That!

Over the summer I sent out an email to all the Freshman (now Sophomore eeek!), girls who used to live on my floor when I was a Graduate Staff Assistant. Although I was no longer their RA, nor their GSA, I still wanted (and still do) to keep in touch. I emailed them to touch base, but mostly to give my typical motherly advice before they entered a new school year. Below is the email I sent to them:

You may be asking "Why am I sharing this email with you?" The reason being is that I gave this advice to the 36 perfect freshman females on my floor, but what I should have done is sent this email to myself. This "advice" that I gave isn't just for the young, impressionable college student. It is advice that any female, at any age, can benefit from.

Girl world is a place full of lots of fun clothes, sparkly shoes and endless OPI nail colors, but it is also a place that can be cruel, unforgiving, and nearly impossible to survive. I too, am guilty of putting other females down, talking behind their backs, and failing to uphold grace and respect for them in a time a weakness. This isn't right.

There is a quote that is generally attributed to Madeline Albright, which reads "there's a special place in hell for women who don't support other women." We all need to work on supporting one another, guiding one another, and being the best version of ourselves that we can be. By doing this we teach the other people in our lives, especially the men in our lives, how we desire and deserve to be treated.

If you have ever gossiped about someone behind their back, I have something to say to you....

So have I.

If you have ever said something that you wish you could take back, or that you knew you shouldn't have said, I have something to say to you...

So have I.

It's okay. No one is perfect. I certainly am not. Sometimes in weak moments we all forget our manners. My challenge to you is this... Stop gossiping, but more importantly acknowledge the times that you may have gotten a tad feisty, a wee bit sassy, a smidge caddy, and a pinch unkind. Having awareness of the things we do is half the battle. If we understand the validity to our gossip and the pain it may cause, we are halfway there to stopping it completely.